By Douglas Whitbread via SWNS
A man has been jailed after dazzling a police helicopter with a laser pen as crews desperately searched for a missing person.
Footage showed David Warren, 41, aiming the high-powered beam of green light at a hovering chopper from a widow – while officers complained of being “targeted”.
He received 35 weeks in jail for the offense – which included the activation of a suspected sentence for threatening a person with a weapon.
Police said they were called to Warrington, Cheshire, at 1:30 am on August 27 this year following concerns for the welfare of a man who was missing.
As officers conducted inquiries on the ground, the National Police Air Service deployed a helicopter to the Latchford area of the town to assist with the operation.
But shortly before 3:15 am, its crew relayed a message over the police radio that someone was shining a green laser out of the window of a property at them.
They could be heard saying: “We’re being targeted by a laser and if it doesn’t stop, we’re going to have to pull off this job.
“He needs arresting for it – leaning out a window, consistently targeting us as well.”
Officers were able to trace the property where the laser was coming from.
But Warren, of Latchford, refused to allow them to come in, and they then made a forced entry into the building before arresting him.
In his interview, he admitted the offense, saying he was using the laser to point out the helicopter in the sky while recording it on his phone.
Warren was charged with shining a laser beam towards an aircraft and pleaded guilty – and he was sentenced at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on September 26.
Sergeant Michael Hayes from Cheshire Constabulary said after the hearing: “While the person the police helicopter was searching for during this incident was ultimately located, shining the laser beam it its direction was incredibly dangerous and could have seriously hindered their efforts to locate someone in need of help.
“The sentence handed to Warren should serve as a reminder of how serious this offense is considered.
“I hope it also reminds people of the risks associated with lasers, which some people may think of as a harmless device. This is far from the case and can have very serious consequences.”
